One Day in Denver invites filmmakers to document the city for a collective film

On April 26, filmmakers across the city are invited to take part in One Day in Denver. Novice camera-phone auteurs and skilled movie-makers alike will be capturing their unique perspectives on Denver and then submitting the footage to the multi-faceted documentary project. The project is a spin-off of One Day on Earth, a 2010 project involving films from thousands of participants around the world; Denver is one of eleven U.S. cities putting together its own metro version of One Day.

"One Day on Earth is both the company behind this as well as an event that occurred in 2010, 2011 and 2012. It was the first event of its kind -- videographers were empowered, in every country in the world, to go out and collect footage -- it was essentially a 'day-in- the-life' kind of stuff," explains Kristin Nolan, spokeswoman for the 'One Day in Denver' event. "That footage was then aggregated into a feature-length film in 2012 called One Day On Earth. The folks behind that are behind this project, and they have spent the last year and a half laying the groundwork for it, which is a cities-based project: They wanted to do something more in-depth, more telling."

On April 26, anyone with a camera of any kind is encouraged to go out and film the story of Denver -- the point is for the footage to be from the perspective of the individual. In preparation for the day of filming, Nolan has been connecting with various community groups to get the word out, and she hopes that folks from all over Denver will join in the project.

"I'm speaking just for Denver, but I've done outreach to well over one hundred not-for-profits, talking to various governmental agencies, reaching out to every filmmaker possible and just revving the engine for everyone -- doesn't matter the age, skill set, et cetera -- to just get involved with the event. It's designed to have a very low barrier of entry," stresses Nolan. "Essentially, everyone who is game for participating will go out on April 26 and collect footage that speaks to how they fit into the fabric of Denver. Perhaps our triumphs, our struggles -- where are we going in the future?"

To help guide filmmakers, One Day in Denver has provided optional questions that can be answered through a visual investigation of the city:

Why are you in your city?

What do you love about your city?

What is the best thing happening in your city today?

What are your city's biggest challenges?

Who is your city not serving?

What is the worst thing that could happen to your city?

What are the solutions that your city needs to implement?

How are people changing the future of your city?

What do you hope for your city in the next 20 years?

Ask your own question about your city.

Though actual filming won't happen until April 26, those interested in participating are encouraged to sign up via the One Day in Denver website and create a profile. From there, filmmakers can interact with each other and see how planning is going for others in the community.

"People will come at this from all different angles and are doing so many interesting things in their planning process that I think it will be incredible to see what they do," says Nolan. "All of that footage will be aggregated in our website -- which is a social networking website, essentially -- and is there that each participant and filmmaker will have a homepage that explains who they are and why they are involved in the project.

"As people are signing up on the website -- which is really easy to do -- everyone will have the opportunity to see what (other participants) are all about and where they are coming from," she continues. "I kind of knew this in advance, but it becomes clearer everyday: one of the most important stories in Denver is growth. That's what we're faced with every day."

After the day of filming, people are encouraged to upload their raw footage as soon as they can -- within a few days, preferably. Filmmakers can also opt to do their own edited piece. "The critical fact is that everyone is collecting their footage on that day -- everyone should be filming on April 26 and they are encouraged to upload as soon as possible," says Nolan. "I just want people to know how easy it is to be a part of this -- there are no technical specifications. You can film on a traditional video camera or you can do it on your phone, you can do it on your iPad or from your camera -- anything goes."

One Day in Denver is hosting a free gathering on the project this Thursday, April 17 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the new Space Gallery. To sign up or get more information on One Day in Denver, visit the event's website or follow it on Facebook.

Bree Davies is a writer, reporter and radio host born and raised in the Queen City of the Plains. An active member of the music community, she is the co-founder of Titwrench experimental music festival and co-host of Welcome to Rock Island, a podcast focused on the art and industry of music. Davies contributes regularly to Westword and has written for The A.V. Club, xoJane, Alternative Press and more about music, art, feminism, DIY culture and social justice issues. Follow Bree on Twitter.